॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 24 April 2023 - X a.28- Bhagavan Sri Krishna saves his father Nanda from the clutches of Varuna Loka. He also gives the Darshan of Paramdhama to all the Gopas at their request.
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There is an endless stream of godly events in every chapter of the Dashama Skandha. This time it involves King Nanda himself.
श्रीशुक उवाच
एकादश्यां निराहारः समभ्यर्च्य जनार्दनम् । स्नातुं नन्दस्तु कालिन्द्या द्वादश्यां जलमाविशत् ॥
तं गृहीत्वानयद्भृत्यो वरुणस्यासुरोऽन्तिकम् । अविज्ञायासुरीं वेलां प्रविष्टमुदकं निशि ॥
भगवांस्तदुपश्रुत्य पितरं वरुणाहृतम् । तदन्तिकं गतो राजन् स्वानामभयदो विभुः ॥
T: On Karttika Ekadashi, King Nanda performed Upavasa (prayer and fast), and then, next morning, very early, he went and bathed in the Yamuna. Unfortunately, that time chosen for his bath, unbeknownst to him, was inauspicious as Asuras are on the prowl at that time. By the way, Asuras dwell in the netherworld under the sea and are ruled by Varuna who is a godly kind of person! So at that moment, when Nanda entered the waters, he was abducted by an Asura who took him and hid him away deep in the ocean, in Varuna Loka.
The residents of Vraja became most concerned at the disappearance of their chief while he was bathing in the Yamuna. Naturally, they escalated the matter to Balarama and Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna knew what had happened. He calmly told them not to panic and went directly to Varuna's world.
नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने । न यत्र श्रूयते माया लोकसृष्टिविकल्पना ॥
अजानता मामकेन मूढेनाकार्यवेदिना । आनीतोऽयं तव पिता तद्भवान् क्षन्तुमर्हति ॥
ममाप्यनुग्रहं कृष्ण कर्तुमर्हस्यशेषदृक् । गोविन्द नीयतामेष पिता ते पितृवत्सल ॥
T: Varuna was most delighted to receive Bhagavan in his own den. He was quite apologetic. He said, " Oh, Supreme Brahman, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, my obeisances. You alone are indeed beyond the forces of Maya and this creation's bondages! An ignorant Asura among my crew has committed this indiscreet abduction of your dear father. He shall be released forthwith. Lord, bless me and grace me, for You are the Master of all. Oh, Govinda, kindly take your father back to Vraja!"
ते त्वौत्सुक्यधियो राजन् मत्वा गोपास्तमीश्वरम् । अपि नः स्वगतिं सूक्ष्मामुपाधास्यदधीश्वरः ॥
इति स्वानां स भगवान् विज्ञायाखिलदृक् स्वयम् । सङ्कल्पसिद्धये तेषां कृपयैतदचिन्तयत् ॥
T: When they returned, Nanda described to his people his amazing experience of being abducted to the world of Varuna with its spectacular riches, then being rescued by Sri Krishna from Varuna Loka, and how all the people in that Loka had bowed down to Sri Krishna as Bhagavan Himself! Listening to this, The Vraja Gopas realised that they were in the presence of Ishwara, Bhagavan, who appeared as Sri Krishna. They became extremely eager to visit the Paramdhama of Bhagavan, the abode that only the most fortunate devotees can experience. Even as they were shaping their own words to make this request to Bhagavan, Sri Krishna smiled. He decided to fulfil their desire.
जनो वै लोक एतस्मिन्नविद्याकामकर्मभिः । उच्चावचासु गतिषु न वेद स्वां गतिं भ्रमन् ॥
इति सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् महाकारुणिको हरिः । दर्शयामास लोकं स्वं गोपानां तमसः परम् ॥
T: Alas, people are stuck in this world of birth and death, full of desires, taking the forms of man-beast-bird-insect and so on because of their Karma. They are rooted in the body and never realise their Atma! So now, only on account of His infinite compassion for His devotees in Vraja, Bhagavan Sri Hari revealed His own abode to them all, and they experienced something beyond this world of bondage and Karma-driven species and birth cycles. It was a place of bliss and light.
सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं यद्ब्रह्म ज्योतिः सनातनम् । यद्धि पश्यन्ति मुनयो गुणापाये समाहिताः ॥
ते तु ब्रह्मह्रदं नीता मग्नाः कृष्णेन चोद्धृताः । ददृशुर्ब्रह्मणो लोकं यत्राक्रूरोऽध्यगात्पुरा ॥
T: That Eternal Truth-Knowledge-Bliss combined, which is Para Brahman, All Light, Eternal, that experience that only the greatest ascetics attain to in Samadhi , after going beyond Gunas - that was experienced now by the Gopas of Vraja. Bhagavan immersed all of them in the lake of Brahman Bliss. He revealed to them His Loka, or Vaikuntha, before bringing them back to Vraja. This act of grace He performed for Akrura also at another time.
नन्दादयस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा परमानन्दनिर्वृताः । कृष्णं च तत्र छन्दोभिः स्तूयमानं सुविस्मिताः ॥
T: The residents of Vraja were simply flooded with the bliss of Brahman, an experience they could not understand but only cherish, thanks to Bhagavan who is the One worshipped in the Vedas.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
